


You've Got Mail

by Goddess47



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Meet-Cute, Romance, you've got mail - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goddess47/pseuds/Goddess47
Summary: Now that you have rid yourself of that millstone, it behooves us to finally meet. I will be in London shortly.Harry goes to meet his mystery correspondant!
Relationships: Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 16
Kudos: 135
Collections: House of Snarry's Snape Birthday Bash!





	You've Got Mail

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JocundaSykes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JocundaSykes/gifts).



> For the House of Snarry Snape's Birthday Bash!
> 
> Jo asked for Harry and Severus corresponding and not knowing who they were talking to. That made me immediately go to "You've Got Mail!" I hope I did your ask justice!

_Today was a shite day._ Harry sighed looking at the bald statement on the screen. It really was a shite day but seeing the words on the screen made him feel even worse.

_Sorry to dump on you, but I have no one else to talk to at the moment. Found my girlfriend mostly only wanted me only for my money. We had a huge fight, I walked out on her and came back to London, and my best friend is out of town and... well, there's no one else to talk to besides you. I hope now that I've said it to someone that I can get over it._

_I'm glad she never wanted to learn about using the computer. It was 'too Muggle' for her. I guess that's a good thing, now. It also should have opened my eyes before this. Oh, well._

_I'll feel better once I sleep. Talk to you tomorrow! --DeadHead80_

He hit 'send' before he thought too much about it. He might not send it at all if he did.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment. He had been stunned at Mariel's demands. "It's only money and you have more than enough to share!" had been her excuse. In retrospect, Harry was grateful that no one else was there. He had left her apartment before he said or did anything he'd really regret.

After he walked out of her Paris apartment, he went straight to the Paris branch of Gringott's. He arranged for a port-key back to London and, once there, had a long-overdue talk with his account manager. He had AxeGrinder cut off all access Mariel had to any of his assets, including the home he had bought that would have been a surprise wedding present for her. Good thing she didn't know about it. He loved how it had turned out and he wouldn't have any memories of her in it. And it wasn't that he didn't trust the rest of her family, but he didn't trust himself to not act badly if one of them tried to defend Mariel. The memory was too fresh and raw to trust himself to act like the adult he was supposed to be.

"Can someone put wards around the houses so that no one but me can get to it? Start with the house in Cambridgeshire and then do the others." Harry asked. "In fact, can I get the one in Cambridgeshire done today?" He had a fleeting thought that Mariel would not have loved the British countryside the way he did. He suppressed that dismay and focused on business.

"Certainly." AxeGrinder had nodded. "I can have that changed by dinner time and the others by lunch tomorrow. What about your house-elves?"

"Oh, right. Please include them in the warding. They'd get in but it annoys them when there are wards they have to get through."

"Anything else?" 

Harry sighed. "No. Thank you. I'll be in the London apartment tonight and probably there through Yule. I can easily stay away from everything until tomorrow afternoon."

He had met Mariel Floraison while working in Paris on behalf of the Ministry of Magic. She had been his liaison with the French Ministry and, at first, it had been a relief that she ignored the fact that he was 'The Boy Who Defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' and treated him as _Harry_. Looking back, he now suspected that it was likely an act to allow her to get closer to him.

Harry had not known anyone else in Paris -- MagicMan 47 was on the other end of the computer and they talked regularly, but Harry also enjoyed having someone to go out to dinner or to a pub -- so he had fallen into a friendship that had led to more. It had gotten to the point that Harry had planned to propose on Mariel's birthday next month. 

Something else that should have been a major concern was that Mariel hated the Muggle world and avoided purely Muggle areas whenever possible. By going into London, Harry would ensure that it would be highly unlikely she would track him down to berate him for 'being stingy'. 

"Oh, and tighten my mail ward. I'm pretty sure there will be some nasty Howlers coming my way as a result of all this." Mariel lived up to the French hot-head stereotype and her temper tantrums had already made Harry uneasy. Being fierce on a battlefield or on behalf of her clients was a good thing -- being fierce in the bakery was uncalled for. She had laughed at the tantrum she had over the lack of the specific bread she had wanted as _the way I am_ , but Harry had been embarrassed and had wanted to apologize on her behalf. 

As he remembered all this, he wondered what he had seen in her in the first place. 

"I will have that done first," AxeGrinder replied as he put a note into a message box.

Harry went down Diagon Alley, through the Leaky, and out on to the London streets. The gray, overcast day fit his mood. He took the Tube to the neighborhood near the apartment. Letting himself in, he hung his coat in the closet and called for Kreacher.

"There will be new wards on all the residences," Harry told Kreacher. The existing anti-Apparition wards would keep most everyone out and he closed off the Floo. "I've broken up with Mariel and have set the wards so no one beside me and any of the house-elves can get in."

"Finally," Kreacher muttered. "French Girl not good for Master Harry."

Harry sighed. He should have paid more attention when Kreacher had taken a serious dislike to Mariel after they started dating. She had never been outright rude to Kreacher, but she had either ignored him or treated him like a servant. 

"I know, I know," Harry shook his head. 

Dinner had been a lonely affair and Kreacher had left him to sulk after asking if he needed anything else. 

It was midnight and Harry found himself in front of his computer, desperately hoping for a reply from MagicMan47. He tried to focus on other things but he found himself hitting the refresh button too many times.

At one in the morning, Harry gave up and went off to bed. 

He lay awake for a while, thinking about how he had gotten himself involved with MagicMan47. 

He remembered those first awkward months using a computer. Someone in, ironic now, France had figured out how to get Muggle electronics to work in spaces that were not purely magical -- so they would work in places like Harry's mostly-Muggle apartment, but not in Hogsmeade. Hermione had been coaching him and helping him learn not to make the same mistake more than once. Or twice. She had shown him the Wixen message boards and Harry had fallen head-first down that rabbit hole. It had been liberating to talk to other witches and wizards who _didn't know who he was!_

He had run across MagicMan47 in a message board that was discussing 'half blood' politics -- he didn't stay long enough to find out what the discussion was really about -- he wasn't going to participate in that kind of discussion, even anonymously. But the intelligence of MagicMan47's entries had made him seek the other writer out. MagicMan47 had noticed him almost instantly but had graciously tolerated Harry's questions. He had soon suggested they correspond by email, off the message boards, and an unlikely friendship had flourished.

That initial email correspondence had been almost three years ago. Now, there was something obscurely comforting knowing that MagicMan47 would have an answer for him. Harry might not like the answer but it was more than he had at the moment.

Kreacher made breakfast and Harry made himself eat eggs, bacon and toast, knowing he'd not have eaten anything if he was on his own.

He dawdled over coffee, read every bit of two different papers, and took a long, hot shower before he would let himself check the mail.

Oh, thank Merlin.

_It is a good thing you have proven to be otherwise intelligent, since you've been stupid over this woman from the beginning. She has finally been overt enough for you to see how mercenary she is._

Ouch! Although there was some damning with faint praise through in there.

_Now that you have rid yourself of that millstone, it behooves us to finally meet. I will be in London shortly. Whilst it is the Yule holidays, I have no family obligations to attend to. I assume you will be spending part of Yule with your nephew, which means you should be available on Yule eve. Meet me at The Tipsy Troll for dinner. I'll make a reservation for 4 pm, so we can avoid the dinner crush._

Harry sat back to think. He really didn't have any plans but did he want to meet? It was something he had thought about but he wasn't sure if he was brave enough to really go through with it. 

MagicMan47 had become more than a friend. Harry had told him things that he hadn't told anyone else. Not even Ron or Hermione.

Harry wasn't sure what made him type back. _I'll be there. I'll be wearing a red plaid jumper._

Hermione had taken him shopping some time ago and had made him purchase the plaid jumper. It wasn't what Harry would usually wear, but the red plaid was attractive and let Harry beg off on wearing the Weasley jumper he had been given. 

"Master needs to get out more," Kreacher said as he served dinner. "Youse is pacing a lot."

It had to be bad if Kreacher noticed, Harry realized. 

"Just... doing something either very brave or very stupid," Harry admitted. 

"Like most of what Master does," Kreacher replied slyly.

Harry gave a short laugh. "It's tomorrow," he admitted. "I'll be away for dinner."

"Good for Master to go out," Kreacher said.

"I'll continue to be brave and ask you to prepare dinner for two on Yule," Harry said. 

"I will do," Kreacher nodded. 

Harry was almost an hour early to the area of London where the Tipsy Troll was located. It wasn't all that far from his apartment and he felt safely anonymous among the bustling crowd of last-minute Yule shoppers. His destination was a 'mixed' area with both Muggle and Wixen businesses but it didn't have wards the same way Diagon Alley did, so anyone could stroll by. Muggles simply did not see the magical businesses but some, like the Tipsy Troll, catered to both. 

To settle down, Harry walked down the street past the pub. He only window shopped, knowing he'd get distracted if he went into some place like the bookstore or the Quidditch shop. He missed playing but that didn't mean he had lost interest in the sport.

Finally, it was closer to the proper time to go to the Troll. The cheerful but persistent noise of the crowd disappeared as he walked into the front door and was greeted by the hostess.

"Welcome. You must be Mr. Head," the hostess greeted him.

"Uhh... yes..." Harry stumbled.

"Your jumper," the woman said genially.

Harry looked down at the jumper peeking from under his coat. "Oh. Right. Yes, that's me!" 

"I'll take your coat," she offered. Harry took it off and handed it to her. The weather had been cool but not cold. London was unlikely to have a white Yule this year -- it was more likely to be grey and rainy.

"Your dinner companion has already arrived," she said. "Follow me." She led the way into the restaurant and through a magical ward. "You have a private room for dinner tonight."

Harry nodded, too worried to be able to answer.

She led him to a side corridor with a series of smaller rooms. Harry guessed this area was the magic side, which would allow the rooms to be expanded as needed. "In here," she pointed to a door. "Your waitress will be by in a moment to take your order for drinks."

"Thank you," Harry murmured. He walked into the room.

"I'm glad you came," Severus Snape said as he stood. 

Harry stood in the doorway, puzzled.

"What are you doing..." Then it clicked. " _You_ are MagicMan47?"

"At your service." Snape gave a small bow.

Harry frowned. "But..." 

Snape held up a hand. "The waitress will be by in a moment. Let us order drinks and I will answer all your questions."

Harry nodded.

"Please, have a seat," Snape waved a hand at the other chair at the round table. While the table could seat four, it was set for two. The chairs were far enough apart to not be 'cozy' but allowed them to be able to talk easily. 

Snape ordered a bottle of white wine, while Harry ordered tea and some iced water. 

"You're welcome to a glass of wine," Severus offered.

"With dinner, perhaps," Harry demurred.

They sat in not-quite-uncomfortable silence while their drinks were being arranged. 

"Would you like to order your dinners now?" the waitress asked.

"Are you going to stay or flee?" Snape asked with a slight smile.

Harry took a breath as he debated then figured, _in for a pound..._. "Stay," he said firmly.

"Give us a few minutes to look over the menu, please," Snape directed.

"Certainly." She left the room.

"I know the owners," Snape said. "We have full privacy here, so we can talk about anything you like."

"Umm... that's good," Harry replied. 

"To answer the questions I know you have. I only recently figured out who you are from your discussion about Mademoiselle Floraison. You left enough clues about who your 'girlfriend' was, mostly from talking about her family, as well as her work in Paris. With that, it didn't take long to figure out who you were talking about. From that, it was simple to deduce it was you," Snape said calmly.

Harry sat back to consider some of his messages... rants, really. "Huh. Now that I think about it, I wasn't as clever as I thought I was. Sorry?" 

Snape shrugged. "We've been exchanging messages online for almost three years and I have only figured out who you are in the last six months, so you did an admirable job of keeping your identity to yourself for that long."

"I never suspected you were..." Harry waved a hand, "...you!"

Snape nodded. "I have had more practice at being discreet."

Harry grinned. "That is true!"

Snape picked up the menu. "The food is always good and I highly recommend the lamb."

Harry picked up his menu and looked it over. "Good to know."

The waitress came back and Harry ordered the braised lamb shanks, while Snape ordered the lamb stew. The waitress promised to bring their starters quickly.

Harry sat back for a moment, looking at Snape. He had changed in some subtle and some overt ways. His hair was longer and tied back in a queue. It also didn't look as lank as it had at Hogwarts. He had put on some much-needed weight -- Snape was still slim, but it looked healthier. The Muggle clothes were well fit and perhaps not at the forefront of fashion but they were dressy in an understated way. There was a hint of bronze in his skin, as if he had been someplace warm recently. Oh, right! MagicMan47 had just returned from a conference in southern Italy. Importantly, he didn't look as tired and worn as he had when he was teaching.

"You're looking good," Harry said aloud. 

"So are you," Snape replied. "Your hair does look less dreadful now that you've grown in out."

 _How..._ Oh! Harry had despaired of his hair to MagicMan47! 

Harry grinned. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling decidedly awkward. It's hard to merge _Professor Snape_ with _MagicMan47_ in my head."

Snape grinned. "If it helps, call me Severus. That will be new enough to you and, perhaps, we can build on that. I had the same problem initially, when I realized who I was communicating with. Once I made you _Harry_ in my mind, it became easier. And I've had time to make that adjustment. You have nothing to apologize for."

Harry rolled that around in his head. _Severus._ It felt a bit naughty, calling a teacher by their first name, but at the same time it should help since it was unfamiliar.

"Thank you. Severus." Harry said firmly. 

The waitress brought their soups and set a basket of rolls on the table. The business of eating let Harry settle back down.

"I'm assuming your trip to Italy was a potions' conference?" Harry asked.

"It was," Severus nodded. "It's been nice the past few years to be able to make my own potions and to share that information with others."

"Are you still making potions for Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

A nod. "Minerva helps fund some of my research with that," he admitted. "She's getting a known product that she can trust and sometimes the mindless brewing of infirmary potions gives me ideas."

"You've never hired an assistant?" Harry asked. 

"I had considered it," Severus admitted. "But, to be honest, I find I like working alone. After teaching for so many years, the quiet is... nice."

"I can imagine," Harry nodded.

The waitress brought their dinners. 

"Wine?" Severus offered.

"Yes, please," Harry nodded.

Thinking of this person as _Severus_ helped Harry continue the conversation over dinner and into dessert and coffee. 

"I have been curious about your username," Severus asked. "You do not seem to be a Muggle rock music aficionado. How did you come up with DeadHead80?"

Harry considered. He gave the answer he had given to Hermione. "Well, some of it is due to Sirius," he admitted. "There was a collection of Muggle records left in his room at Grimmauld, and there were Grateful Dead records among others. The 80 is the year I was born, which I've been told is trite but I needed a number to get the name. There's a bit more but, well, it's a story for another day." The story of The Master of Death was not first date material, even with Severus Snape.

"Not a problem," Severus assured him. "I was merely curious." 

"Anything else?" the waitress asked as she cleared their table.

"No, thank you," Severus said. He turned to Harry. "My treat tonight, since I invited you."

"Thank you!" Harry didn't protest. "I'll be seeing Teddy and Andi in the morning but if you're free, I'd like to invite you to dinner tomorrow."

"No one else has invited you?" Severus asked.

Harry shrugged. "I'm not quite sure what would happen if I show up at the Burrow. It's awkward since Ginny and I decided we didn't fit together. And Ron and Hermione are in vacation in Algiers and not available as a buffer. Andi and Teddy are going to the Malfoys, since Teddy and Scorpius have become friends and Andi and Narcissa are working on being sisters again. I'm essentially avoiding everyone for the moment." He grinned. "I've already asked Kreacher to prepare dinner for two."

Severus gave a short laugh. "Kreacher! I haven't thought of him in years. Interesting that you still have him with you. And... sure of yourself, aren't you?"

"Kreacher and I came to an... understanding during the war and he's now my Head Elf. As for extra dinner, he'd find someone who could use a good dinner, which should be easy on Yule. I suspect he does that already. But, yes, I'd like you to come."

"Then I will be there," Severus promised. 

Harry gave him directions, exchanged good-night wishes, and strolled home. 

Harry sat in front of the computer that night and knew he was grinning like a loon.

_Dinner was an excellent idea, thank you very much. Kreacher is looking forward to seeing you again. You will not be surprised to learn that he did not like Mariel at all._

_I am reminded that the Black Library has a significant collection of Potions texts. They are entailed to the library but if there are any of interest, I can lend some to you. I'll have an assortment available for you to look through._

_See you tomorrow. --DeadHead80_

Still grinning as he logged out, he realized that, for the first time in a long time, he had something amazing to look forward to.


End file.
